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| 'Rose' from http://www.sewladidavintage.com |
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| 'Margo' from http://www.sewladidavintage.com |
This year's Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate was the best its been for years. For the first time there was a real dressmaking presence; new exhibitors showed off patterns designed and made in the UK and there was ample variety of quality dressmaking materials from the UK and beyond.
I'm excited to try out two new patterns I bought from Sew La Di Da.
Despite feeling Merchant and Mill's absence greatly (their stall is always full of delights), I did manage to get my hands on one of their patterns from Emma Garry. From another exhibitor I picked up a lovely fine wool for the discounted price of £14 a metre which is very similar to that used on the pattern envelope except it has undertones of dark brown rather than black. For the first time at the show I attended a workshop; mine was on how to Crochet a granny square. I paid £20 and walked away with a complete and slightly/very messy granny square, a full ball of wool and a crochet hook so I can practice practice practice.
The class was well run despite a leak at the venue which caused the teacher's handouts to disintegrate. One thing that was lacking from the show was any pre-show communication about what supplies would be provided or even if attendees were required to bring anything with them to the workshop in order to fully participate. So I was quite relieved that my pen and paper was enough and I didn't have to go on a mad dash around the show for some wool in order to be able to complete my granny square!
The most rewarding part of the workshop was seeing the treble stitches come to life; I recognise them not from books but from the several crochet blankets, aged 30+ years which my grandma made for me and which never leave my bed. I'd love to be able to progress and make a granny square blanket to pass down through my family (alongside my grandma's ones of course)!
I'd highly recommend the workshops at the show as they add an extra element to the day and allow you to speak with other people who have similar sewing interests. They're also a great way to try a new method of stitching before committing to buying all of the supplies and, of course, it's almost always easier to learn a new skill first hand from live demonstrations.
So now I've had an enjoyable two hour taster I've enrolled onto a beginners crochet course in my favourite town of Ramsbottom at Stitch. It starts in February 2016 and after that I think the granny squares will be under construction!
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| Stitch in Ramsbottom run a wide variety of dressmaking and sewing courses |
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| This is the aim...! |
What else did I get up to at the show? Well, I spent a lot of time selecting fat quarters for my next sewing adventure...quilting.
I was given a copy of the book Fast Quilts from Fat Quarters several years ago and I've been wanting to make one of its appealing quilts for some time. I've finally settled on one which is the size of a double bed and which has a lovely visual symmetry.
I've also collected several patchwork and quilting books over the years so I feel prepared for the new challenge. So much so that I spent a day of flexi leave from work hand washing and ironing 14 fat quarters and 3 metres of white fabric!
This is what I'm aiming to make but in a white, purple and green colour scheme (you can see the fabrics I'll be using in the final photograph):
I think, as usual, I've bought and invested in more than enough to last me until way beyond next year's show. But that's all part of the fun! I hope everyone else who went found some new and exciting projects to work on!
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| My purchases from Harrogate 2015 |
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